Freestyle scootering is an increasingly popular action sport. There are several freestyle scooter competitions and exhibitions held annually in which participants engage in stylized riding and a variety of tricks. In addition, riders use scooters for exercise and recreation in parks, city streets, sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots. Some of this activity includes use of different structures such as stairs, curbs, ledges, handrails, speedbumps, and gaps.
These activities cause wear and tear on the scooters and often result in cracked or broken scooters. One particularly common problem is cracking of the scooter deck. Traditional scooter decks are made of metal, often aluminum, which wears down quickly and needs to be replaced frequency. Metal decks also have disadvantages for popular riding activities such as grinding. In particular, grinding on steel rails with a metal deck causes the scooter to move too fast and compromises the rider's control of the scooter, while grinding on concrete curbs or ledges slows down the scooter and damages the deck.
An existing solution for protecting the deck of the scooter is a deck saver. Currently, deck savers are substantially flat metal plates that bolt onto the bottom of the scooter deck. However, existing deck savers have significant disadvantages. Because they typically have at least four bolt and locknut attachment assemblies, they can be tedious and time consuming to attach to the scooter deck. Furthermore, they typically are not structured to protect the side surfaces of the scooter deck, and the use of metal for the deck saver may hinder performance of grinding tricks by the user.
Another problem is that scooters often break at the point of attachment of the down tube to the deck due to the significant stresses put on this connection point. This problem is typically addressed by increasing the wall thickness of the steer tube or the handlebars. However, this adds significant weight to the scooter, making it more difficult to maneuver. Another major problem with existing scooters is that over time significant play can develop in the handlebar assembly or the steer tube such that the handlebars go out of alignment with the front wheel.
Accordingly, there is a need for a scooter deck assembly that includes a deck saver component that is easy to attach and facilitates popular activities and tricks such as grinding while protecting the bottom and sides of the scooter deck. There also is a need for a scooter with a more secure connection of the deck and down tube without adding significant weight to the scooter. Finally, a need exists for a solution to maintain the alignment of the handlebar assembly and the front wheel of the scooter.